L99: LIMIT BREAKER

For the first time since 1996, Dragon Ball Z will be returning to television.

Thanks to the success of two hit movies, 2013′s Battle of Gods and this year’s Revival of F , a sequel series to Dragon Ball Z will be coming to tv in just a few short months.

Taking place after the end of the Buu saga, Dragon Ball Super will continue the story of Goku and his family returning to a peaceful life before the shocking arrival of a new villain that the show’s producer’s promise “will be stronger than Buu and Frieza”. Sure the idea of an even more powerful enemy showing up was already pretty tired after DBZ’s Cell Saga let alone during the latter half of 1996′s semi-unofficial sequel series Dragon Ball GT (taking place at the end of Z but not based on Akira Toriyama’s original manga) but this is exactly why people love this series. High powered demi-gods getting into comically obscene battles while firing blasts that could easily decimate planets…sounds like we’re getting exactly that.

Apparently the series has been secretly in production for some time now, AnimeNewsNetwork reports that the series will premiere as early as July of this year.

**UPDATE: Toei Animation has released an official statement on their website:

TUESDAY 28TH APRIL 2015

After 18 long years of waiting, the information arrived today! Toei Animation will produce the new Dragon Ball series, entitled Dragon Ball Super (Japanese title; tentative for English release)!
Overseen by Akira Toriyama, the series will debut on Japanese screens in July 2015 on Fuji TV.
Direct sequel to Dragon Ball Z, the series will bring together all the characters and tell their adventures after Son Goku’s fierce battle against Majin Buu.
“Having loved Dragon Ball since childhood, it is very exciting to be a part of this project,” said Osamu Nozaki, producer for Fuji Television. “Mr. Toriyama has developed a plot that’s not only a dream come true for Dragon Ball’s millions of fans, but one that will foster in a new generation of viewers.”
“I hope that this series will last a long time and have the same impact around the world as its predecessor.” said Masako Nozawa, Japanese voice actress of Dragon Ball’s Son Goku, Son Gohan and Son Goten.
Introduced as a manga in Weekly Shonen Jump (published from SHUEISHA Inc.) in 1984, Dragon Ball has evolved into a globally beloved brand.
Seen in more than 70 countries, with over 230 million copies of its comic books sold, Dragon Ball remains one of the most popular anime series of all time.

TOKYO (April 28, 2015) – Toei Animation has announced production on Dragon Ball Super (Japanese title; tentative
for English release), the first all-new Dragon Ball television series to be released in 18 years. Following the recent events of the hit feature film, Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection ‘F’, Dragon Ball Super will debut in Japan in July 2015.

Reuniting the franchise’s iconic characters, Dragon Ball Super will follow the aftermath of Goku’s fierce battle with Majin Buu, as he attempts to maintain earth’s fragile peace. Overseen by Dragon Ball’s original creator, Akira Toriyama and produced with Fuji Television, Dragon Ball Super will draw on its historic past to create a bold, new universe welcoming to fans and endearing to new viewers.

The new TV series will be directed by Kimitoshi Chioka, whose only work with the franchise thus far was as a story boarder in Battle of Gods, and will be produced by Osamu Nozaki (Fuji TV), Naoko Sagawa (Yomiko Advertising), and Mutsumi Kido (Toei Animation). While Nozaki and Sagawa were both recent producers for Dragon Ball Kai, Kido served a short time as an assistant producer during the production of Dragon Ball Z.

The story of the anime will take place a few years after the defeat of Majin Buu, when the Earth has become peaceful once again. The voice of Goku, Gohan, and Goten, Masako Nozawa commented on the new anime, saying, “We've always used the word 'chō' (Super) with Dragon Ball in commercials, games and the like, but the fact that the series titled Dragon Ball Super is beginning is the best thing ever.”

Fuji TV producer Osamu Nozaki commented on the new series as well, saying, “As I read the plot [of the series] I've already received from Akira Toriyama, my dreams for this begin to expand. An enemy even stronger than Buu or Freeza may appear...”

L99: LIMIT BREAKER

Happy Goku Day! Today is the day to celebrate one of the most influential characters of all time – Son Goku from Dragon Ball Z! Starting this year, May 9th is an officially recognized day in Japan by the Japan Anniversary Association. The animation studio behind DBZ, Toei Animation, had actually filed an application with the Japan Anniversary Association to commemorate this day and their request was approved!

So why May 9th? Well, May is the fifth month in the year and in Japanese the number 5 can be read “Go” while the number 9 can be read “Ku”.

Goku’s Japanese voice actress, Masako Nozawa, attended a stage event after a screening of the recently released Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection ‘F’ film in Japan earlier today to celebrate this great this day. She shared how her career in voice acting started. Initially, she really hated voice acting because she aspired to be a stage actress, however, after all these years of success she is truly glad to be have become a voice actress. Dragon Ball creator, Akira Toriyama, is actually the one who decided she is the one who should play Goku right after her audition to play the part. Toriyama-sensei is also the one who selected Nozawa-san to play Gohan and Goten.

In order to celebrate Mother’s Day, which is Sunday May 10, Goku (well a person dressed as him) surprised Nozawa-san at the stage event with a bouquet of 59 carnations and presented them to her as the “Mother of Dragon Ball.” Nozawa-san responded by saying, “That’s sneaky of you. I’m gonna cry!” She added that to her, Goku does seem like her own child.

L99: LIMIT BREAKER

Starting in July, Dragon Ball is back in the form of Dragon Ball Super! The exciting announcement was made last month by the Japanese animation studio behind the franchise, Toei Animation, who mentioned Dragon Ball Super would be an anime that will take place in the aftermath of Goku’s fierce battle with Majin Buu.

The July issue of Shueisha’s V-Jump magazine, which officially releases on Thursday, May 21 in Japan, is revealing Dragon Ball Super will also have a manga adaptation. The original story will be by Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama and the manga adaptation will be by Toyotaro, the person behind the official Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection ‘F’ movie manga and fan-made Dragon Ball AF.

The Dragon Ball Super manga launches in Japan next month and it’s expected to be officially published around June 20-21, so expect Dragon Ball Super spoilers to begin a few weeks before the anime’s release. Speaking of the anime’s release, it will begin to air on Japanese television in July on Sundays at 9:00 AM (which are Saturday nights in America). No specific date was mentioned, so we at Saiyan Island are assuming it will be the first Sunday, July 5th. Of course if it differs, we hope to let you know!

FUNimation, the company behind Dragon Ball in North America, has not yet announced any information about an English version of the anime, dubbed or subtitled. If things go as we hope them to, there should be an official version of Dragon Ball Super episodes on the web as soon as they air in Japan.

The story of Dragon Ball Super is still a mystery, but the announcement for the series does note it will “no doubt exceed everyone’s expectations.”